Quality Assurance and Quality Control
Quality assurance and quality control are related but distinct laboratory functions: quality assurance is the ongoing, proactive activity of establishing and upkeeping quality standards to achieve zero-defect products, while quality control is the downstream process of checking finished products or services against those standards and issuing a pass or fail decision.
Quality Assurance or Quality Control?
Quality Assurance and Quality Control are often used synonymously as the differences between them are not clear to most of us. It is important to realize that quality consciousness can contribute immensely to growth or decline of your business. In today’s competitive environment a service provider cannot afford to ignore quality needs of the consumer or the client. This principle applies equally to laboratories which are part of industrial establishments as well as those engaged in commercial products testing. It is important for all and especially those working in such establishments to understand the difference between the two terms. It may also be a topic of discussion that may crop up during job selection or promotional interviews.
The differences are discussed keeping in mind testing operations in chemical test laboratories which are part of manufacturing units or laboratories engaged in commercial testing activities. A consumer or client expects the services provider to abide by standards laid down by international standardization bodies such as ISO, EPA, APHA, Pharmacopoeias, AOAC, ASTM, etc. In addition several standards are industry specific or stipulated by national standard bodies.
Quality Assurance
- Quality assurance is an ongoing activity which aims at upkeep and improvement of quality standards of products and services
- A group of persons is assigned the task of quality assurance. The team is continuously upgraded through external certifying bodies and should be updated on changing industry standards
- Quality assurance is a process that aims at zero defect products
- Quality assurance adopts a proactive approach to identify and take corrective action that will ensure consistency of product quality and precedes quality control checks.
Quality Control
- Quality control is constituted of another group of individuals that ensure quality of products produced through adherence of standards laid down by quality assurance group
- Quality control in other words ensures quality by adherence to quality manual developed by the quality assurance group
- Quality control is concerned with the identification of defects or deviations in the manufactured products and is responsible for taking pass or fail decision
The ultimate objective of both quality assurance and quality control is to offer goods or services that meet the expectations of the consumer or the client and do not in any way pose health hazards during use. It is important to realize that upkeep of product quality is not the responsibility of any one individual nor quality assurance or quality control group but is a joint responsibility of all the individuals engaged in the manufacturing and laboratory testing operations.
What is the main difference between quality assurance and quality control?
Quality assurance is a proactive, ongoing activity aimed at upkeep and improvement of quality standards, aiming for zero-defect products, while quality control is the process of checking finished products or services against the standards set by quality assurance and making the pass or fail decision.
Why are quality assurance and quality control often confused?
The two terms are often used synonymously because the difference between them isn't clear to most people, even though they represent distinct functions carried out by different groups within an organization.
Who is responsible for quality assurance versus quality control?
A dedicated team handles quality assurance and is continuously updated on changing industry standards through external certifying bodies, while a separate group carries out quality control by ensuring adherence to the quality manual developed by the quality assurance team.
Does quality assurance happen before or after quality control?
Quality assurance adopts a proactive approach to identify and take corrective action that ensures consistency of product quality, and this activity precedes quality control checks.
Why does understanding quality assurance and quality control matter for laboratory staff?
Quality consciousness can significantly affect the growth or decline of a business, and the distinction between quality assurance and quality control is a common topic in job selection or promotional interviews for laboratory professionals.
What is the ultimate objective of quality assurance and quality control together?
Both functions aim to offer goods or services that meet consumer or client expectations without posing health hazards, and maintaining product quality is a joint responsibility of everyone involved in manufacturing and laboratory testing operations, not just the QA or QC groups.